Folding bed



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Pomme BED.

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, FOLDING BED.

No. 331,912, A Patemed July 7, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. 'POVR OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,912, dated July 7, 1885.

VApplication filed Janury 8, 188|. (No model To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID J. PowEas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures l and 2 represent a folding bed einbodying my improvements closed up, the rst being represented without a top piere and the second with such piece applied to the head-section; Fig. 3, a detail section on an enlarged scale, showing the catch or-locking device for fastening the two bed-sections together; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section on the same scale as the rst gures, showing the head and foot sections separated and the lever applied to the jointed side rails, the latter being nearly down in a horizontal position; Fig. 5, a similar view with the side rails brought down in horizontal and locking position; and Fig. 6, a detail section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line x x, Fig. 5.

My invention relates to that class of folding beds in which movable upright head and foot sections are employed connected by jointed folding side rails. This type of bed is shown in Letters Patent No. 276,464, granted to me April 24, 1883, and my present invention may be regarded as an improvement upon the said patented structure.

I will proceed to describe in detail the construction and operation of a folding bed in which I have practically embodied my improvements in one way, and will then point out definitely in the claims'the special improvements which I believe to be new and wish to protect by Letters Patent.

In the drawings, Aand B represent, respectively, the upright head and foot sections which form the head and foot supports of the bed, and which are made independent of each other, but separable by moving either one or both of them bodily in ahorizontal direction. These sections are connected together by side rails C, which are hinged at their ends to the respective sections A and B, and are jointed or hinged together about midway of their length, so that they may be folded upward, thereby permitting the head and foot sections to tween its middle and ends.

be brought together, or may be unfolded and brought into a horizontal position when these sections are separated for the purpose of forming a bed. The head-section A is preferably provided with a removable top, which may be made of different forms representing different pieces of furniture, such as a mirror, bookcase, or any other like article, and these bodies may be interchangeable, so as to vary the appearance of the bed when closed up.

The cover F is hinged to the front or foot section, B, instead of the head-section, as in my former patent, which arrangement brings the cover more conveniently in reach of aperson standing at the foot of the bed to raise it up when closing up the bed, and when the latter is opened this cover falls down of its own weight into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, where it is retained by a spring, g, which engages with the cover. When the sections are brought together for the purpose of closing up the bed, the cover, being released, is lifted up, and, resting on the side rails as the latter are raised, will be carried into place over the top of the head-section, which is provided with an aperture, I, into which the catch h on the cover drops, thereby securing the two sections together.

In 'order` to support the side edges of the fabric, I attach to the side rails, C, at their inner ends where the hinged joint occurs, pendants G, constructed substantially as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings. Each pendant is pivoted tothe two sections of the side rail to which it is attached in such a manner as to remain substantially vertical, whatever the position of the side rail may be, and is screwthreaded at its lower end to receive a nut, 7c, for the purposes hereinafter described. The fabric is provided with a loop, J, at its edge, which fits upon the vertical portion of the pendant, being of suiiicient size to move freely upon the pendant and small enough to prevent its passing over the nut 7c. It will be seen that the fabric K, being attached to one of these pendants G at each side, will be prevented from sagging in the middle when any weight is placed upon it, while at the same time it is capable of moving freely up and down at this point as well as at all intermediate points be- The nut k will limit the downward motion of the fabric 'when ICO ' in an obvious manner the bed is in use to prevent its descending too low, and will carry the fabric up with it when the bed is folded up, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The fabric K, employed in beds of this character, is elastic, and in the operation of preparing the bedstead for use by unfolding it this fabric is stretched, owing to the separation of the head and foot sections, and consequently offers a certain alnount of resistance. In order to overcome this resistance and render the operation of unfolding the bed as easy as possible, I attach to one ofthe side rails, C, a lever, H, which is pivoted to the side rail, so as to be capable of being swung back in the position shown in Fig 5 of the drawings when not in use, or to be swung over into the position shown in Fig. d, when it bears against a stop or projection, li, on the side rail, so that any downward pressure applied to the outer end of the lever will operate upon the side rail to force it down into po- Sition. After the rails are down in place the lever may be swung back, as shown in Fig. 5, where it will be ont of the way and concealed from view.

From the above description the operation of my improved bedstcad will be readily nnderstood without further description. It is obvious that various mechanical niodilieations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and l therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details shown and described.

In an earlier application for patent, Serial No. 94,802, tiled May l0, 1883, I have shown and described somewhat different devices for holding out the side edges of the fabric, and have claimed solnewhat broadly this general improvement in suspended bed-bottoms. I do not wish to be understood, therefore, as in the present case claiming this improvement broadly, but herein I claim only the special means for accomplishing this result, set forth in my claims.

Havingfully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with the head and foot sections and jointed side rails connecting the same, of the pendants pi voted to the side rails, and the elastic fabric having its side edges connected to the pendants, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

2. The combination, with the head and foot l sections and the jointed side rails connecting the same, of the pendants G, pivoted to the side rails and provided with nuts k on their threaded lower ends, and the elastic fabric K, provided with loops j, th rough which the pendants pass, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, with the head and foot sections and the jointed side rails connecting the same, of a lever attached to one of the side rails to aid in forcing them down into position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

It. rllie combination, with the head and foot sections and the jointed side Yrails connecting the saine, of the lever H, pivoted to one ol' the side rails, and the stop or projection fr 011 said side rail, snbstantiall y as and for the purposes speciiied.

DAVID J. POWE S. Vitnessos:

FRANK A. Pownns, Ann. L. Gnnfrn'rn. 

